This invention relates to dispensing mechanisms, and is more particularly directed to devices for vending items, e.g., pre-paid debit cards (such as telephone long-distance calling cards) when a customer has deposited a predetermined amount of money into a coin and/or currency acceptor device.
Self-service card vending machines have become popular at locations where customers are likely to need to make local, regional, or long-distance calls. These machines are frequently located at airports, convenience stores, college student centers, and near pay telephone banks. The cards typically carry a toll-free access number, and a code or PIN number that the customer also dials for authority to connect to a distant party. Each card has a unique PIN number, which must be activated at the long-distance company at or before the time that the card is sold to the customer. These cards are variously referred to as phone cards, long distance cards, prepaid phone cards, debit cards, or telecards. These cards typically come in denominations such as $10, $20, or $50, which can correspond to 30 minutes, 60 minutes, or 150 minutes of long-distance calling time, respectively.
The current state of the art in card vending mechanisms requires the card dispenser to be interfaced with a main control board that is in turn connected to the currency acceptor or coin acceptor. This requires the vending company to purchase three separate parts, and to hook-up the three parts, namely the money acceptor, the controller board, and the card vender. The card venders are set up to dispense a single debit card when the controller provides the dispenser with a single impulse. This limits the flexibility of the device, and causes a problem when the customer inserts more value than the money required to purchase a single card.
The vending machine market has many types of dispenser mechanisms that are interfaced to a main control board. However, no one in the vending machine market incorporates a special, miniature controller board within the dispenser to solve the problem of having an external controller board.